Programme Management Specialist

Organizational Setting

FAO Afghanistan is investing, across all 34 provinces, in resilience reinforcing actions that focus on protecting agriculture livelihoods and local ecosystems, boosting local production of nutritious foods and cash-incomes, and safeguarding critical agriculture sectoral development gains achieved over the past couple of decades through revitalizing rural markets and economy. In 2022-2023, FAO will, under the life-saving assistance Outcome (1) of the UN Transitional Engagement Framework (TEF), focus on the following four priority actions: (i) Safeguarding Wheat Seed Security, (ii) Enhancing Local Production of Nutritious Food, (iii) Livestock Protection and Dairy Sector Support, and (iv) Restoring Irrigation Structures to Boost Cash Incomes. Additionally, FAO will contribute towards resilience building activities under Outcome 2 of the TEF.

FAO Afghanistan has recently started a new four-year project, titled ‘Strengthening Rural Livelihoods and Food Security Program in Afghanistan’, supported by the USAID. This project will be implemented in over eight provinces of Afghanistan through four components and has the following four outcomes. Outcome 1: Increased production and processing of nutritious food through adoption of environmentally sustainable practices by smallholders; Outcome 2: Improved economic resilience of smallholders to shocks through enhanced rural diversification of agriculture-based livelihoods and income generation activities; Outcome 3: Enhanced enabling environment especially on enhancing the availability of quality seeds and other inputs at national level and making the same available at sub-national levels along with other extension services to smallholders; Outcome 4: Increased availability of information, learning, and analysis on food cultivation, harvesting, processing, storage and overall security and resilience building of smallholders.

Reporting Lines

The Programme Management Specialist works under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative (FAOR), the direct supervision of the Emergency and Rehabilitation Officer, and technical guidance/oversight of the Lead Technical Officer (LTO) in RAP and HQ for the specific component of the project, supported by the relevant Divisions at FAO Headquarters as the Lead Technical Unit.

Technical Focus

The Programme Management Specialist leads the technical team of the project in close cooperation with the stakeholders and other national and international staff; the incumbent will be responsible for the timely and effective implementation of the Project especially to ensure the technical quality and timely delivery of the Project’s activities.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Lead the implementation of the USAID supported rural livelihoods and food security project/s in Afghanistan in the project area in a timely and professional manner; • Ensure the contribution of the project to FAO Afghanistan’s overall programming towards food security, nutrition and resilience building in environmentally sustainable ways of vulnerable smallholder households in Afghanistan; • Support the Emergency Response and Resilience Team of FAO Afghanistan in its programming efforts by contributing to proposal formulation, undertaking high-level analytics to inform programming priorities, and presentations to enhance programming efforts, especially on rural livelihoods, food nutrition security and resilience building in Afghanistan; • Provide technical inputs to develop policies and strategies as well as guidelines for Rural Livelihoods and Food Security with the specific domains related to FAO’s work; • Lead and guide the overall implementation of the project activities and enhance the capacities of project staff and stakeholders to achieve the intended results and objectives of the project; • Manage the project team in terms of work-plans, project deliverables, budget utilization, and coordination with various stakeholders necessary for successful implementation of the project; • Supervise the preparation of various written outputs, e.g. background papers, analysis, substantial sections of reports and studies, inputs to publications; • Lead and manage the coordination and reporting of the project progress to the project donor on a regular manner as per the project document by preparing project reports and documentation, including Quarterly Project Implementation Reports, semi-annual Progress Reports, technical reports and the Terminal Report as required by the resource partner; • Direct substantive support to consultative and other meetings, and conferences, to including posing agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents and presentations; • Manage outreach activities; design and conduct training workshops, seminars, deliver presentations on assigned topics/activities; • Support the development, implementation and evaluation on technical issues related to the project; direct the review of relevant documents and reports; identifies, liaises with the relevant parties; identifies and initiate follow-up actions; • Support in reviewing the assessment of project as well as food security and rural livelihoods’ related issues and trends to inform the preparation of project monitoring, review, impact evaluation, and/or equivalent studies; • Lead field missions to project area, including provision of guidance to external specialized technical consultants, and other parties; • Perform other duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced (Master’s) university degree in agriculture/development economics, rural development, food security, sustainable agriculture (including livestock, forestry and fisheries), social science or closely related fields; • A minimum of 8 years of relevant work experience in managing large projects / programmes focusing on food security / resilience building / agriculture livelihoods strengthening / rural development, technical cooperation-related activities, policy advice or analysis related to environmentally sustainable cultivation/production practices, with a special focus on knowledge and experience in developing / transitional countries as well as agriculture, rural development, food and nutrition security, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes; • Working knowledge (level C) of English and limited knowledge (level B) of one of the other FAO languages (French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese or Russian) for Consultants. For PSA, working knowledge of English.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus • Teamwork • Communication • Building Effective Relationships • Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions is essential. • Work experience in Afghanistan or developing countries is preferred. • Relevant experience in technical cooperation-related activities, policy advise and analysis relating to Food security, resilience agriculture, rural livelihoods / development, common interest group / producer group formation, market linkages, micro-finance linkages, monitoring and evaluation of projects and programmes, and /or providing technical support and advice on the institutional capacity building process. • Relevant experience in establishing and maintaining partnership with local private sector, farmer groups and their organizations, UN agencies, NGOs as well as donors. • Relevant experience in organizing international meetings, seminars and training courses. • Demonstrated results-based management capabilities with an ability to manage programmes, budgets and human resources efficiently. • Familiarity with UN agencies administrative, finance and operational systems. • Familiarity and understating of Afghanistan geographical background, security sensitivity, climate, local customs and conditions is a strong advantage.